Anaemia in pregnant women in eastern Caprivi, Namibia.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the prevalence, character and possible aetiology of anaemia in the study region.


METHODS
A cross-sectional study involving a lifestyle and dietary questionnaire, a clinical examination and an analysis of blood and stool samples.


METHODS
Katima Mulilo antenatal clinic, East Caprivi, Namibia.


METHODS
171 pregnant women attending the clinic in September 1995.


METHODS
Effects on haemoglobin concentration of age, trimester, parity, residential area, sociodemographic factors, malaria, parasites, geophagy, diet, cooking pot used, vitamin and mineral supplementation and malaria prophylaxis.


RESULTS
41.5% of the women were found to be anaemic (haemoglobin < 11 g/dl) and there was a significant risk of their being iron-deficient (P = 0.01). Three maternal characteristics were found to have a significant effect on a woman's risk of anaemia: urban residence (P < 0.05), geophagy (P < 0.01) and the taking of prophylactic chloroquine (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Mild anaemia affects a large proportion of the pregnant women in East Caprivi; severe anaemia (< 7 g/dl) is not common. The picture is predominantly one of iron deficiency, possibly complicated by concomitant folate deficiency. There is no single easily identifiable cause of this anaemia; it appears to have a multifactorial aetiology. Further studies on the effect of the current malaria prophylaxis programme are warranted.
Thomson
J
J
Faculty of Medicine, Southampton General Hospital, UK.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D008019:Life Style; D008288:Malaria / Q000150:complications*; D009276:Namibia / Q000453:epidemiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011250:Pregnancy Complications, Hematologic / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
D006454:Hemoglobins